US President Donald Trump gave the green signal to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's regime to conduct a strike on Qatar, targeting a residential neighbourhood housing senior Hamas peace negotiators.
"It was US President Donald Trump who 'gave the green light' to Benjamin Netanyahu's regime for the attack," reported Reuters quoting Israeli media.
Later the White House said that Israel alerted the United States about its plans.
Several blasts were heard in Qatar's Doha on Tuesday, Reuters witnesses said.
Plumes of black smoke were billowing from the city's Legtifya petrol station. Next door to the petrol station is a small residential compound that has been guarded by Qatar’s emiri guard 24 hours a day since the beginning of the Gaza conflict.
Trump said on Monday that Israel had “accepted my Terms” and it was “time for Hamas to accept as well”.
“I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting,” he added. “This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”
Throughout the war, the US has portrayed Hamas as the primary obstacle to reaching a ceasefire agreement.
Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that he is not interested in a permanent end to the war or a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Taking to X, the US Embassy in Qatar announced that a shelter-in-place order has been implemented for the facilities of the US Embassy.
“We have seen reports of missile strikes occurring in Doha. The U.S. Embassy has instituted a shelter-in-place order for their facilities. U.S. citizens are advised to shelter-in-place and monitor US Embassy Doha social media for updates,” the embassy wrote on X.
https://x.com/USEmbassyDoha/status/1965410250707935632
Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official targeted by Israel in Qatar on Tuesday, has become an increasingly central figure in the leadership of the Palestinian militant group since both Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar were killed last year.
Israeli officials told Reuters the attack was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Hayya, its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator.
Two Hamas sources told Reuters the group's ceasefire negotiation delegation in Doha survived the attack.
Qatar has hosted several rounds of peace talks.
Hayya has been widely seen as the group's most influential figure abroad since Haniyeh was killed by Israel in Iran in July 2024.
He is part of a five-man leadership council that has led Hamas since Sinwar was killed by Israel last October in Gaza.
Netanyahu said that he had ordered security forces to prepare to target Hamas leaders after deadly attacks in Jerusalem on Monday.
He said that at noon, in light of an "operational opportunity" and after discussions with heads of the security establishment, he and his defence minister opted to carry out the attack and "it was executed with precision and success."
The Qatari government denounced what it called a “cowardly Israeli attack” on Hamas' headquarters.
“This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar,” the Qatari Government stated in a statement.
It further said that “it will not tolerate this reckless and irresponsible Israeli behavior, which continuously undermines the region’s security, or any action targeting its security and sovereignty.”
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted another 250 on October 7, 2023, according to Israel. More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza since then, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Israel has also launched airstrikes and other military action in Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Yemen in the course of the Gaza conflict.
In Lebanon, it attacked the heavily armed Iran-backed group Hezbollah and in Yemen it launched air strikes on the Iran-aligned Houthi group. Both groups have launched strikes on Israel during the Gaza conflict.
